Everywhere we turn these days we are bombarded by models and beautiful women striving to look a certain way. If you are like me you have probably plowed through just about every diet and exercise fad out there.
Ever since I was a kid I wanted to obtain the perfect body. If I became what society deemed gorgeous then maybe I’d be happy with myself. But, even when I had reached my goal weight, it was not enough. I felt like I had broken myself to look a certain way and in the end, it was never really worth it. I was not happy.
On top of being a teenager with body issues, I was diagnosed with type one diabetes. This created a resentment towards living a healthy lifestyle. No matter what I did, doctors were scolding me for every little thing. I was desperately trying to grasp onto an unobtainable beauty standard. It was taking a toll on my confidence.
As I got older, I started to slowly realize that to juggle health and happiness is to accept that I am perfect no matter what anyone says. Being healthy has nothing to do with what size a person is. It has to do with so much more than that. Mental, spiritual, and physical health go hand in hand. If one is even slightly off or obscured then your whole balance, your happiness, is also thrown out of whack.
Improve Your Health and Happiness:
- Making healthier food choices here and there.
- Taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Finding time to pamper yourself, even if it is just at home.
- Choosing to write down positive affirmations daily.
These are just a few ways we can improve our health and happiness without sacrificing our sanity. Our happiness creates the positive energy we want to exude from our minds, bodies, and souls.
When I became a mother I made a promise to never judge myself out loud in front of my children. I would embrace every curve, every frizzy curl, every silly quirk about myself so they could see that beauty is what we make it. If I can not except myself, flaws and all, how can I expect others to accept me, too?
Juggling health and happiness means finding peace within ourselves to accept the things we can not change and find ways to enhance and embrace the things we are proud of. It is feeling loved by yourself. Feeling powerful in your own skin and passing that attitude out into the universe. At times it is easier said than done. I have my moments where I feel insecure. Then I think about the example I am setting for my children. That always outweighs the negative thoughts I put on myself.
It is so important to understand that we are all beautifully and wonderfully made. Start taking the time to praise the exceptional person you are. Take the time to give yourself the love and care you need and deserve to keep being fierce.
